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If you’re reading this now, chances are you’re living the Comics Life. You appreciate visual storytelling through art, you have an eye for the creative. Living the Comics Life is more than t-shirts and long boxes. That is absolutely a part of it, but here in 2019 there is something more. Something that people who don’t own a single comic book shirt or enough comics to fill a shoe box are indeed a part of now. We’re all in it together!

With that in mind, Comics Life is a one day event specifically designed to be a skill share focusing on the creative process behind graphic novels, comics books, mini comics, and more. Sure you can meet creators, get signatures, buy prints, original artwork, comics and graphic novels directly from them. But Comics Life is NOT modeled after a standard comic book convention, it is intended to be a new experience. Ask questions about process and materials. Take notes. Plan the next step in your Comics Life!

Comics Life will debut with the goal of offering an annual experience that excites, inspires, and connects the Greensboro Community which already has a very strong relationship with graphic storytelling as an entertainment medium. If you want to utilize the experience in a way that you can learn new skills to put you on the road to becoming a creator yourself, your opportunity will be at this event.

Kids and teenagers interested in interacting with professional storytellers and illustrators are welcome and specially encouraged to attend so educators take note.

Comics Life is sponsored by Acme Comics and we will reveal more on what that means soon. We’re excited about it so we think you will be too!

Greensboro’s writer, artist, creator, promoter of the Heartbreak Quadrant graphic novels and the illustrator for the Rangers of Shadow Deep role playing game.
Also the designer and artist of the wonderful Comics Life promotional art.

It is that time of year again and we are very excited to host the 16th Annual Free Comic Book Day 2018 right here at Lawndale Shopping Center in Greensboro NC!

This now international event has grown into something truly unique since the very first one in 2002! Comic book fans in our area and beyond look forward to FCBD all year to get a sampling of what comic books have to offer as entertainment and also as a major social event.

Across the nation, there is no FCBD event quite like the one at Acme Comics. New friends are made in line each year and you might even find out about your new favorite television show or video game from the people around you!

Free Comic Book Day brings whole community out together around the common interest in comic books, art, and creativity! We look forward to seeing you on Saturday May 5th!

HOW FREE COMIC BOOK DAY WORKS

Free ComicBook Day is an international event that comic book stores can choose to participate in and each store runs the event differently.

The way FCBD works at Acme Comics is that we require no purchase to unlock access to the free comic books. Though the comic books are not free to us, we offer them free of any inherent or connected charge to the attendees to say “thank you” for your love of comic books and for supporting Acme Comics as a Greensboro institution since 1983.

Though available quantities will vary, on Free Comic Book Day attendees may have access 1 copy of each type of comic book that was available at the time you reached the distribution area. The earlier you show up, the more individual items will be available to you.

Attendees may select an “All Ages” bag which will contain only items appropriate for all audiences both young and old. There will be a “Teen” selection where the content will have slightly more action and tension than the All Ages option. Or attendees may select a bag with “everything” but some comic books may contain more action than others or may contain language and subject matter not intended for younger audiences.

It is important for parents and/or guardians to inspect the all of the offerings first to determine what is appropriate for whom to see.

WHEN DOES FCBD BEGIN:

FCBD begins on Saturday May 5th when Acme Comics open at 10AM. Acme Comics closes at 7PM, but when we are out of offerings, we are out of offerings. There will be more of some 2018 FCBD comics than other, so historically there has been at least one free comic left toward the later afternoon.

WHEN DOES FCBD BEGIN UPDATE:

In order to potentially alleviate some of the traffic on May 5th that has at time prohibited participation due to the volume of people, we are trying something new this year. Something that we learned from other stores at various retailer meetings.

This year FCBD will begin at 12:01AM MIDNIGHT.

If there is a line at that time, the line will begin moving and attendees may receive the available FCBD comics. This special FCBD launch will end promptly at 2AM regardless of how many people remain in line or how close they are to entry.

There will be no Local Heroes guests available at that time, but they will be on hand on for you on Saturday May 5th starting at 10AM.

Carpooling with friends or arranging to be dropped off and picked up is ideal!

Click the link above to see the Free Comic Book Day 2018 offerings. We will have all offerings available, but some quantities are more limited than others and will expend before others.

Acme Comics Presents FCBD Local Heroes

Not everyone is able to travel to comic book conventions as often as they would like so making artistic talent available is a part of our mission at Acme Comics. This year, as part of our 35th anniversary celebration and the 16th Annual Free Comic Book Day, we are specifically showcasing local talent! There are extremely talented and passionate artists and craftspeople right here in your very own community and this year you can meet them! This year is their time to shine!

Time to meet the FCBD Local Heroes!

Chris Gunter

My name is Chris Gunter and I’ve been drawing on a regular basis for about 5 years, daily if possible. I enjoy drawing my favorite characters from comics, pop culture, and cartoons. I’ve been working with Acme Comics at various events and have drawn at the Greensboro Children’s Museum for Free Comic Book Day since 2015 as a regular guest.

This year I’m at the main Free Comic Book Local Heroes event and I’m excited to show you my art and draw for you there!

Kevin Hardin

Kevin Hardin is an illustrator and graphic designer from Graham, NC. A long time Acme Comics fan and Free Comic Book Day attendee, this will be his first time participating as an artist. He has presented in various art shows and conventions across North Carolina including SuperFamiCon 2017 and most recently the I AM North Carolina art exhibition. Some of his influences include Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Andrew Maclean, and Jake Parker. He has also participated in the annual World Art Drop Day in both Greensboro and Burlington, NC for the last 5 years so you may already have some of his art! He is a lover of comics, pizza, The Office, Cheerwine, and all things North Carolina. He currently works at North Carolina A&T University. He resides in Graham with his wife Rachel and 2 rescue dogs Cara and Lexi.

Rickie Hopkins

Born in 1989 Rickie began expressing himself through art at the age of three. At the age of eleven Rickie’s father introduced him to comic books with Spider-man #1 by Todd McFarlane and that captivating moment would shape the direction of his artistic destiny. Rickie’s other influences are Greg Capullo, Arika Toriyama, Alex Ross, Katshiro Otomo, to name a few. In 2015, Rickie provided art for the “Capital Punishment” story written by Rodney Traynham published by Grayhaven Comics. He tabled at his first convention at Comic Book City Con, has participated in numerous Acme Comics events including Transformers Day and Local Comic Shop Day, and presented at the Four Seasons Grand Cinema.

Merryn received a BFA in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2012 and currently resides in Greensboro, NC, where she is from, with her husband Chris, son Zevon, and their two cats Chick and MoMo.

You’ve seen her on Instagram now you can see her in person at Acme Comics’ Local Heroes Free Comic Book Day event where you can pick up prints, original art, and more for the cat lover in your life!

Jody Merriman

Too young to remember his birth, Jody Merriman remembers being raised by a pack of wild dogs. He soon became the leader of the pack because of his opposable thumbs. Wait. Isn’t this the origin of Wolverine?

Anyways. Influenced by a diverse range of artists from Norman Rockwell to John Byrne to Alex Ross to Adam Hughes to Stuart Immonen, Jody uses all of those inspirations along with those opposable thumbs to create pictures for all to enjoy!

Jordan Morris

JoMo is an NC based illustrator and Greensboro native, he is the self-proclaimed “grossest with the mostest”, Bringing his enthusiasm for pop culture and his crass sense of humor to make head turning pieces. Tees, Stickers, Pins, Patches, Logos, you name it he’ll do it. Shameless is as shameless does! You’ve seen Jordan’s work if you’ve been in the shop lately as he designed our new Acme Bat logo! Jordan’s art can be seen on his Facebook and Instagram page!

Griff Person

I’m Griff Person and I’m a Greensboro native, born and raised. My first comic book was Batman: The Killing Joke which sparked an interest that led to a degree in art and graphic design from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2012, after a time away from both art and comics, I started scratching out doodles on Post-It Notes which developed into a commitment to keep putting pencil to paper nearly every day.

Due to consistent practice and evolution, I’ve branched out beyond doodles to create full-fledged, full color artwork. With heavy influences from Bruce Timm, Shane Glines, and Cameron Stewart, I enjoy drawing strong women, dinosaurs, and the occasional cat. Most of my recent pieces are small which makes them easy to display and are primarily in marker and watercolor.

Hi, I’m Brian Richardson, but I sign all my drawings “PBR” because those are my initials. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, mostly just for fun, but in 2013 I began to take it more seriously. That was the same year I began to participate in Acme Comics’ Free Comic Book Day event as an artist at Greensboro’s Children’s Museum. Later I would appear at Acme’s Comic Book City Con, LexingCon, and Super Famicon, as well as various other events hosted at Acme Comics. So you have seen me around!

My artistic style is influenced by the art associated with Walt Disney characters, and my favorite being the ducks. Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge McDuck, Darkwing Duck, and Launchpad McQuack to name a few.

This year I will be at Acme Comics’ Free Comic Book Day Local Heroes event which is an honor and I’m ready to draw for you! See ya soon!

Dora Salinas

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina and influenced by Saturday morning cartoons such as Sailor Moon, Pokémon and Spider-Man, Dora Salinas began drawing at the age of ten. By the age of seventeen, her commitment to art broaden to film and digital photography, watercolors, oil paintings and ink work.

Dora is a self taught artist, whose artistic skills were honed thanks to her teachers and professors at the Reidsville High Academy of Art and Rockingham Community College. Dora’s artist influences include Annie Leibovitz, Rodin, MarkBrooks,and Elizabeth Beals. Dora enjoys creating pieces that allow her creative freedom to experiment with different styles, techniques, and mediums.

Brian Shearer

Brian Shearer lives right here in Greensboro and you’ve seen his work regularly on comic book series from IDW Publishing such as G.I. Joe A Real American Hero, Transformers, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and more.

Other projects include his creator owned comics William The Last, Murdock Madstone, and is the co-creator of the graphic novel, Vex. Brian can also be seen on his YouTube channel demonstrating the craft of making comics and giving advice on navigating the challenges of work as a freelancer.

Brian was among the very first artists to participate in Acme Comics’ earliest Free Comic Book Day events and this year he makes his return with prints, original art pages from published comics, and more! Brian will also be available for a limited time for portfolio reviews to help amateur artists refine their craft.

Shayla Simons

Shayla Simons is a Rising Junior at East Carolina University concentrating in Animation and Interactive Design while also earning an Entrepreneurship certificate.

She lives her life in pop culture including video games, comic books, manga, and anime. Her creative influences include Steven Universe, Voltron, funky pastels, cutsy characters, and powerful women of color.

Over the last two years, Shayla has presented in the Art Live and Learn Community Art Show, the Art Living and Learn Community Spring Show, the Young, Black, and Gifted Showcase and also represented Greensboro by being published at the age of 15 years old in the award winning Womanthology hardcover published by IDW in 2013.

Barrett Stanley

Barrett Stanley is a Greensboro-based artist, writer, and illustrator. Upon graduating from Grimsley High School, Barrett studied painting at Appalachian State University and after a winding journey through many forms of art, he found his way to comics thanks to a love of visual storytelling.

Barrett began writing and drawing comics in 2013 and in January, the popular website Bleeding Cool named his ongoing science-fiction graphic novel series Heartbreak Quadrant “The Best Independent Comic Book of 2017“. Heartbreak Quadrant volume one is available directly from Barrett and can also be routinely found in Acme Comics’ independent graphic novels section. His comics work has also appeared in anthologies such as Speculative Relationships and $19.84: the Dark Future of Retail. In addition to comics, he is currently illustrating the role-playing game Rangers of the Shadow Deep, written by Frostgrave creator Joe McCullough.

Barrett makes his return to Acme Comics as part of the Free Comic Book Day Local Heroes event where you can pick up the second HQ graphic novel directly from him.

Riley Till

Riley Till is just a simple dude trying to remain a forever lost boy right here in the Triad area and is a name that some of you will know. What you may not know is his focus on dark pen and ink illustration ranging from realistic portraits to spooky line art. Riley has advanced to freelance illustration, but has goals of becoming a tattoo artist.

Rodney Traynham & Kev Lyerly

Rodney is a longtime familiar face around Acme Comics and has also written professionally since 2013. His first self-published work, The Adventures of Teague: Retail Specialist with art by Kev Lyerly, was first released in single issues starting in 2013 and the collected graphic novel edition was released late last year. A short story entitled “Capital Punishment” with art by Greensboro artist Rickie Hopkins was published by Grayhaven Comics in 2015. He is currently working on his first prose novel, a short story/poetry collection, and the color art for a new project with Kev Lyerly set for release later this year.

Kev Lyerly is a Winston Salem based fan art illustrator and an independent comic book artist with twenty years of art experience. His works range from the smallest sketch card to large paintings and everything in-between. Examples of his work can be found on his Facebook page, Klaws of Kreation. On the comics side, Kev is the creator of Solar Knight and the Equalizers and was artist on The Adventures of Teague: Retail Specialist with writer Rodney Traynham. He is currently at work writing and illustrating a new project coming later this year.

Sara Winans

Sara Winans is a North Carolina based illustration artist and comic creator. Since her graduation from the Living Arts College in Raleigh NC, Sara has moved to more traditional media such as watercolor, acrylic, ink, and digital; taking on private commissions and contributing to the charity book duo Aberration Zine.

Sara is currently working on her first, self-published, sequential art book, Heebie Jeebies, which follows a magician by the name of (Greg)orious Fairfly. Heebie Jeebies is set in a pseudo-1880s/ 1920s inspired world where magic comes at a cost and mystery will grab readers from the first page.

Colby Ziglar

Colby Ziglar is a North Carolina native and graphic designer who graduated from Guilford Technical Community College with a degree in Commercial Art and Advertising. Comics have been a part of his life since he was probably four years old. Just like they did for many others, comics helped him to learn to read and inspired his artistic creativity early on. “I am always honored when asked to participate in any comic related activity such as conventions or special events, but especially Free Comic Book Day events with Acme Comics.”

The Free Comic Book Day Local Heroes will be hosted inside of Smallcakes Cupcakery right here in Lawndale Shopping Center at 2138 Lawndale Drive Suite B.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
AT THE GREENSBORO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

If you are unable to attend Free Comic Book Day at Acme Comics in Lawndale Shopping Center and are primarily interested in the All Ages material, we will make an allotment of comics available at the Greensboro Children’s Museum (220 North Church Street) on Saturday May 5th. Supplies will be limited. For more information call (336) 574-2898.

That’s the Free Comic Book Day 2018 run down! If you have questions call 336-574-2263 or email AcmeLWN@Bellsouth.net with Free Comic Book Day in the subject line.

Enjoy free comic books courtesy of Acme Comics, enjoy the company of your fellow fans, and enjoy visiting with local creators!

It occurred to me one day that, just like in any industry, inside the comic shop we speak our very own language. A language that is as deliberate and intricate as it is
insular and bizarre. So I thought I’d create something of a gateway into this potentially intimidating and impenetrable code.

This will be an ongoing work in progress that is regularly updated and amended. If you would like to request a definition, please let us know and we’ll get right on it. Or if you see fit to define a term yourself, please submit it to us for review!

BACK ISSUE: The term back issue encompasses any comic that is no longer available on the general current sales shelves. A back issue could be a comic book from the 1980s or a book from four weeks ago. Such books can be found bagged to protect them from damage and priced in the back issue bins or backstock, in alpha-numeric order.

BACKWALL: The “backwall” in a comic book store is the area of the store where higher priced books are kept. Key issues, vintage comic books, rarities. The backwall does not literally have to be a wall behind a counter, but often is. This term is also applicable to booths at comic book conventions

BACK ORDER: Back order is a distribution technical term regarding the status of an
order. A back order means that the item is currently out of stock at the distributor, but if more are found there, the back order will fill. While not ideal, back order is not as bad as when a reordered item is “sold out” at the distributor. Example: If it’s an ambulance (back order), you’ve got a chance. If it’s a hearse (sold out) then it’s gotta be worse.

COMIC SHOP LOCATOR: Comic Shop Locator is a service by which a fan can find
a comic book store in the area they are located in by providing the zip code. This service is invaluable while traveling. The phone number is 1-888-COMIC-BOOK or the website is http://www.comicshoplocator.com. There is also a phone app. Be aware that at times Comic Shop Locator may not be updated to reflect store closings or relocations.

CROSSOVER: A crossover simply refers to content or characters from one series crossing over into another series. Example: The Outsiders and Checkmate series are crossing over together for a storyline that goes through both series.

DIAMOND DISTRIBUTION: Diamond is the Baltimore based distribution company that handles the majority of comic book and related merchandise in the U.S. and beyond. Monthly Diamond releases a preview catalog that contains solicitations for comic books from major and independent publishers, and merchandise, that is set for release starting as early as two months later. This catalog, Previews, is available to the public in magazine format and online. This is a valuable tool to assist with making preorders.

FILL-IN ART: A “fill-in” is the term for the circumstance where a writer or artist (or both) other than the regular creative team steps in to do an issue or a storyline. Sometimes the fill-in will occur in order to give the assigned creative team time to catch up to deadlines or to keep the series releasing on its regular schedule.

GRAPHIC NOVEL: A graphic novel is a single work, published for the first time in a bound paperback or hardcover form that was not previously released as individual issues. Examples: JLA: Earth 2, Blankets, The Goon: Chinatown, and Star Wars: Force
Unleashed are graphic novels. Watchmen is not a graphic novel, but rather a trade paperback compilation of twelve individual issues. In recent times though, the term graphic novel has become a catch all encompassing trade paperbacks. The term original graphic novel can replace the meaning of the general graphic novel term.

GUTTER: When looking at a comic book page with panels, the gutter refers to the blank space between the panels. Often times in this space, time may pass or unseen actions may occur that the brain will fill in on its own without being expressly shown. For more on the gutter effect see: Understanding Comics graphic novel.

HARDCOVER: A hardcover is a bound collection of material which has a hard cover as opposed to a softcover like a trade paperback. Hardcovers can be a collection of material originally released in another format such as issues or it can contain unique material that has not existed in any previous format (see: Graphic Novel). Examples: DC Absolute Editions (high quality over sized format hardcover with accompanying slipcase) and Marvel Omnibus (over sized hardcover reprinting many sequential issues of early material or a run by a particular writer or artist).

INDEPENDENT COMICS: Independent comics encompass comic publishers outside of the mainstream. Mainstream publishers include major publishers such as Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image Comics as well as smaller companies like IDW, Dynamite, and Devil’s Due. Independent comics often come from very small publishers or may even be self-published by the actual creator. The term “indie” is the common abbreviation for “Independent Comics.”

ONE-SHOT: A one shot is a special stand alone issue. Usually a one shot will say “one shot” on the cover, may feature no issue number or, may display only a #1 on the cover even though there will be no second issue.

PRESTIGE FORMAT: A prestige format comic is generally a square bound individual issue, usually 48-64 pages in length. Example: Batman The Killing Joke originally released as new material prestige format one shot.

RATING – ALL AGES: Comics that are specifically made for kids or contain content that kids and adults can both read are commonly rated as being “all ages.” Marvel Comics has a line of all-ages comics as part of the Marvel Adventures line (Marvel Adventures Spider-man, Marvel Adventures Avengers) which feature the recognizable Marvel heroes in adventures that will be appropriate for young readers and can be enjoyed by older readers as well. A wide variety of all ages comic books and graphic novels can be found in Acme’s All Ages section.

RATING – MATURE READERS: Mature readers is the rating given to comics
containing material that is not intended for young readers. The content may include adult language, graphic violence as opposed to action, or situations young readers would be uninterested in. Marvel Max comics and DC Vertigo lines are intended for mature
readers and many independent comics are intended for mature readers as
well. Mature readers is abbreviated as (MR).

RETCON: A “retcon” or retroactive continuity is the term used when the content of an existing story is changed after it has already been published. Example #1: After Crisis on Infinite Earths, a DC storyline from the 1980s, Superman had a new origin in which he did not gain his signature super powers until he was eighteen years old. Meaning he had no adventures as Superboy. Example #2: As a result of Spider-man One More Day, a recent and controversial storyline, Peter Parker and Mary Jane were never married. The stories all still happened, but they were simply not married during those stories.

SOLICITATION: A solicitation is the description of an item as it appears in the Previews ordering catalog. It usually includes the title, creative team, page count, price, projected
release date, and a brief description of the content. If something is “advance solicited” then it is available to order, but won’t be released for up to a year rather than the usual two month lead time.

SUBSCRIPTION: The term subscription refers to the in-store subscription service through which customers make arrangements to have new releases held/ ordered for them so they do not have to risk an issue selling out because they are not able to make it to the shop specifically on new release day. Another term for subscription is preorder.

SUPPLIES – BAGS: Bags, as a noun, are the plastic (usually polypropylene, but they can be polyethelyne) bags specifically designed to protect and preserve comic books. Sizes range from current, silver age, golden age, and magazine. Bag, as a verb, refers to the act of putting comic books into bags and then sealing them shut with tape. Example: “How many comics did you bag last weekend?”

SUPPLIES – BOARD: Board refers to any size of the optional cardboard backing
that can be placed within the comic book bag to provide support to the comic
itself. Comic book bags and boards must be of the same type to be used effectively. Example: Current bags + Current Boards = Correct, Current bags + Silver age boards = Incorrect.

SUPPLIES – LONG BOX: The long comic box is the largest standard storage box
offered. It comes as one flat piece of cardboard that forms the box and one separate piece of cardboard that forms the lid. Relatively easy to assemble, the long comic book box holds approximately 300 unbagged and unboarded regular sized comic books.

SUPPLIES – SHORT BOX: The short comic box is the smallest standard comic
storage box. It is less than half the size of a long comic box, holding approximately less than half of what a long comic box can hold and it is constructed in the same fashion with two pieces of cardboard.

TRADE PAPERBACK: A trade paperback is simply a softcover collection of material that was originally released in individual issue form. Example: Watchmen is a trade paperback containing the story originally presented as twelve individual issues. In recent years the definitions of graphic novel, trade paperback, collected edition, and volume have become interchangeable as far as the general public is concerned. Purists will still differentiate these terms. The term paperback is also applicable when describing a trade paperback.

VARIANT COVER/ INCENTIVE VARIANT: A variant cover is simply a cover different from the standard release cover. Sometimes this variant cover is available in a 50/50 ratio meaning that out of 100 copies, 50 will be one cover and 50 will be another cover. Other times variant covers will be more limited in frequency.Â Example: This cover is available the ratio of 1 per every 25 copies that the store buys. Or if the store buys 100 copies then it can have access to 1 copy of a variant cover. That is a 1:100 copies variant cover.

VIRGIN VARIANT COVER: A virgin cover is the name given to a variant cover that features only the pure artwork uninterrupted by title logos, publisher banners, or creator credits.